Vibrating toy with elastomeric protrusions and its associated method of assembly

ABSTRACT

A novelty device having a vibrating mechanism that is disposed at least partially within a housing. The vibrating mechanism causes the housing to vibrate when activated. A plurality of elongated elastomeric protrusions are provided that extend outwardly from the housing. The elastomeric protrusions undulate when the housing is vibrated by the vibrating mechanism. The housing can be shaped as a character having a head section. The elastomeric protrusions can be placed on the head section of the character so that the protrusions have the appearance of hair. When the vibrating mechanism is activated, the protrusions undulate wildly, thereby causing the character&#39;s hair to appear to be alive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to toys and novelty devices that containinternal, battery-operated vibrating mechanisms.

2. Prior Art Description

Many toys, such as dolls, balls and the like are commonly held bychildren. Toy manufacturers have long ago discovered that the play valueof most any toy, especially those that are held, can be increased if thetoy is made to vibrate or otherwise move. For instance, plush stuffedanimal toys have been in existence for hundreds of years. Talking dollshave also been in existence for many years. When an internal vibratingmechanism was added to a talking Elmo® doll, and was marketed as theTickle Me Elmo® doll, the doll became a sudden commercial success.

The prior art is replete with vibrating mechanisms that have been usedin toys. However, when a vibrating mechanism is added to a toy, a childtypically cannot tell if the vibration mechanism is activated unless thechild is holding the toy. Often, the vibrating mechanism added to a toyis a low-powered device, that vibrates the toy just enough to be felt.However, the appearance of the toy remains the same whether or not thevibration device is activated or deactivated. In some instances, strongvibrating devices are added to toys. Such vibrating devices aretypically added to balls so that the vibrating device makes the ballroll or randomly move. Such prior art devices are exemplified by U.S.Pat. No. 5,297,981 to Maxim, entitled Self-propelled Bouncing Ball andU.S. Pat. No. 3,798,835 to McKeehan, entitled Motor Driven Ball Toy.However, with such prior art toys, although the vibrating device makesthe toy move, the vibrating device does not change the externalappearance of the toy.

The present invention is a vibrating toy that has elastomericprotrusions. The elastomeric protrusions resonate as the toy vibrates.This causes very fast and wild undulations in the elastomeric elements,thereby causing the toy to change greatly in appearance when an internalvibrating device is activated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a novelty device that vibrates. The noveltydevice has a housing. A vibrating mechanism is disposed at leastpartially within the housing. The vibrating mechanism causes the housingto vibrate when activated. An elastomeric cover is stretched over atleast part of the housing. A plurality of elongated elastomericprotrusions can be provided that extend outwardly from the housing. Theelastomeric protrusions undulate when the housing is vibrated by thevibrating mechanism.

The housing can be shaped as a character having a head section. Theelastomeric protrusions can be placed on the head section of thecharacter so that the protrusions have the appearance of hair. When thevibrating mechanism is activated, the protrusions undulate wildly,thereby causing the character's hair to appear to be alive.

Alternatively, the entire housing can be covered by the elastomericcover, wherein the elastomeric cover itself undulates when the internalvibrating mechanism is activated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is madeto the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof,considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention novelty device;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment of the present inventionnovelty device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially fragmented front view of an alternate embodimentof the present invention novelty device;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a second alternate embodimentof the present invention novelty device; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of the embodiment of the present inventionnovelty device shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a first exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention novelty device 10. The shown embodiment consists ofthree primary components. The first primary component is a housing 12.The housing 12 defines an interior chamber 14. The second primarycomponent is a battery operated vibrating mechanism 16. The vibratingmechanism 16 has at least one eccentric mounted weight 18 that isrotated by a motor 19. As the eccentric mounted weight 18 rotates, itcauses the vibrating mechanism 16 to vibrate.

The vibrating mechanism 16 is held within the internal chamber 14 of thehousing 12. In this manner, when the vibrating mechanism 16 isactivated, the housing 12 vibrates with the vibrating mechanism 16. Abattery receptacle 21 is positioned on the bottom surface 22 of thehousing 12. The battery receptacle 21 receives the batteries needed topower the vibrating mechanism 16. An on/off switch 20 is positioned atthe top of the housing 12. In this manner, by touching the top of thehousing 12, the internal vibrating mechanism 16 can be selectivelyactivated and deactivated.

The third primary component of the novelty device 10 is an elastomericcap 32. In the shown embodiment, a plurality of flexible elongatedprotrusions 30 extend from the elastomeric cap 32. The elastomeric cap32 and the protrusions 30 are preferably molded from an elastomericmaterial. The elastomeric cap 32 has at least one access opening formedalong its periphery. The protrusions 30 extend radially from theexterior of the elastomeric cap 32. The protrusions 30 have a preferredlength of at least one and a half inches. Furthermore, it is preferredthat the protrusions have a wide base and taper toward a top terminationpoint. In this manner, the protrusions 30 decrease in mass along theirlength. This helps the protrusions undulate when vibrated.

The elastomeric cap 32 and the protrusions 30 are preferably made froman elastomeric gel material such as apoly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) copolymer mixedbetween two percent and twenty percent, by weight, with a plasticizingoil, such as mineral oil. The resulting composition is both highlyelastic and highly tear resistant. An oxidizing agent can also be addedto the elastic polymer composition to reduce the tackiness of theelastic polymer composition. Alternate tri-block copolymers such aspoly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the housing 12 can be shaped asa character 40. The character 40 can be an animal or a humanoid having ahead section 42 and a body section 44. It is preferred that thecharacter 40 also have enlarged feet 46 at the bottom of the bodysection 44 so that the housing 12, in the form of the character 40, canbe easily self-standing on a flat surface. The vibrating mechanism 16 isdisposed within the housing 12. Consequently, when the vibratingmechanism 16 is activated, the character 40 vibrates.

The elastomeric cap 32 attaches to the head section 42 of the character40, so as to appear to be the hair of the character 40. In the shownembodiment, the elastomeric cap 32 is stretched over the head section 42of the character 40. The elastomeric cap 32 can be glued in place, butis preferably removable. When the vibrating mechanism 16 is activated,the protrusions 30 that extend from the elastomeric cap 32 resonate atthe frequency of vibration provided by the vibrating mechanism 16. Theprotrusions 30 therefore writhe and otherwise undulate in randomdirections. The protrusions 30 therefore appear to be a living movingobject, making the overall appearance of the character 40 highly novel.

The on/off switch 20 can be placed at any point on the housing 12.However, the on/off switch 20 of the vibrating mechanism 16 ispreferably positioned at the top of the housing 12, in the head section42 of the character 40. This positions the on/off switch 20 under theelastomeric cap 32. As a result, in order to activate and deactivate thevibrating mechanism 16, a person must strike the top of the head section42 of the character 40 through the protrusions 30 and elastomeric cap32. Thus, the character 40 can be activated and deactivated by strikingthe character 40 on its head section 42. The positioning of the on/offswitch 20 in the head section, therefore induces a child to touch themoving protrusions 30 as they are vibrating, thereby adding play valueto the novelty device 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, an alternate embodiment of the present inventionnovelty device 50 is shown. Parts of this embodiment that are identicalto those of the first embodiment are identified with the same referencenumbers. In this embodiment, a plain housing 52 is provided having aflat base 54 that allows the housing 52 to be free standing. Theelastomeric cap 32 is stretched completely over the housing 52 so thatthe housing 52 is not visible. The housing 52, however, contains aninternal vibrating mechanism that makes the housing 52 vibrate. Theelastomeric cap 32 with protrusions 30 covers the entire housing 52.Thus, the entire assembly is covered with undulating protrusions 30 whenthe vibrating mechanism 16 is activated.

Referring to FIG. 4, yet another embodiment of the vibration noveltydevice 60 is shown. In this embodiment, a housing 64 is provided thatcontains a vibrating mechanism. However, weighted arms 62 from aninternal vibrating mechanism extend outside of the housing 64. In thismanner, when the vibrating mechanism is activated, the weighted arms 62spin.

An elastomeric cap 32 is provided that stretches over both the housing64 and the weighted arms 62. Referring to FIG. 5 in conjunction withFIG. 4, it can be seen that the material of the elastomeric cap 32conforms to the housing 64 and the weighted arms 62. The weighted arms62 move, thereby causing traveling waves of movement in the elastomericcap 32 by the passage of the weighted arms 62 under the elastomeric cap32. The rotation of the weighted arms 62 causes a general vibration.This vibration resonates in the protrusions 30 that extend from theelastomeric cap 32, thereby causing the protrusions 30 to writhe.However, the elastomeric cap 32 is also caused to move as the weightedarms 62 pass under different sections of the elastomeric cap 32. Thiscauses the various protrusions 30 to rise and fall as the weighted arms62 move under them. As a result, not only do the protrusions 30 seem tobe alive, but the main body also seems to be alive. This providesfurther visual and tactile interest to the novelty device 60.

Furthermore, the movement of the weighted arms 62 will also cause thenovelty device 60 to move across a surface. The overall assembly willtherefore move randomly across a surface as the weighted arms 62 turn.The movement of the weighted arms 62, therefore, can be used as a meansto provide locomotion to the novelty device.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the use of protrusions 30 isoptional. The novelty device 60 need not have protrusions and theinternal vibrating mechanism may only cause movements in the skin of theelastomeric cap 32 that is stretched over the vibrating mechanism.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present inventionvibrating novelty device are merely exemplary and that a person skilledin the art can make many variations to the shown embodiments usingfunctionally equivalent parts. For instance, the size, shape andappearance of the housing can be changed in many ways. Furthermore, thenumber, length and position of the various protrusions can also bevaried. Finally, the vibrating mechanism can be made to vibrate at manydifferent frequencies and at many different vibrational amplitudes. Allsuch variations, modifications and alternate embodiments are intended tobe included within the scope of the present invention as defined by theclaims.

1. A novelty device, comprising: a housing having an exterior surface; avibrating mechanism disposed at least partially within said housing thatcauses said housing to vibrate when activated; an elastomeric cover thatstretched over at least part of said housing and remains attached tosaid housing as said housing vibrates.
 2. The device according to claim1, further including plurality of elastomeric protrusions extendingoutwardly from said elastomeric cover, wherein said elastomericprotrusions undulate when said housing is vibrated by said vibratingmechanism.
 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said housing isshaped as a character having a head section, and said elastomeric coverextends over at least part of said head section.
 4. The device accordingto claim 1, wherein said housing has a bottom surface upon which it canrest and a plurality of other surfaces extending from said bottomsurface, wherein said elastomeric cover extends over said plurality ofother surfaces.
 5. The device according to claim 2, wherein saidelastomeric cover and said protrusions are molded from an elastomericgel comprised of a tri-block copolymer that is mixed with a plasticizingoil.
 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said vibratingmechanism has at least one moving arm that extends outside said housing.7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said elastomeric coverextends over said at least one moving arm.
 8. The device according toclaim 1, wherein each of said elastomeric protrusions has a length of atleast two inches.
 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein each ofsaid elastomeric protrusions taper from a first thickness to a smallersecond thickness as said elastomeric protrusions extend outwardly fromsaid elastomeric cover.
 10. The device according to claim 6, furtherincluding an on/off control for selectively activating and deactivatingsaid vibrating mechanism.
 11. The device according to claim 10, whereinsaid on/off control is disposed on said exterior surface of said housingunder said elastomeric cover.
 12. A novelty device, comprising: avibrating mechanism that vibrates when activated; a plurality offlexible elongated protrusions supported by said vibrating mechanism,wherein said plurality of flexible elongated protrusions writhe withmovement when said vibrating mechanism is activated.
 13. The deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein said plurality of flexible elongatedprotrusions are configured from an elastomeric gel.
 14. The deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein said plurality of flexible elongatedprotrusions radially extend from a common elastomeric cover, whereinsaid elastomeric cover is stretched over at least part of said vibratingmechanism.
 15. The device according to claim 14, wherein said vibratingmechanism has at least one arm that moves when said vibrating mechanismis activated, wherein said arm is externally exposed and saidelastomeric cover extends over said arm, wherein said arm displacessections of said elastomeric cover as it moves.
 16. The device accordingto claim 12, further including a housing configured as a character,wherein said vibrating mechanism is disposed within said housing.
 17. Anovelty device, comprising: a character having a head section; avibrating device for vibrating said head section of said character; aplurality of flexible, elongated protrusions radially extending fromsaid head section of said character, wherein said plurality of flexible,elongated protrusions undulate when said vibrating device is activated.18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said plurality offlexible, elongated protrusions extend from an elastomeric cover that isstretched over said head section of said character and can beselectively removed from said head section of said character.
 19. Thedevice according to claim 18, wherein said flexible, elongatedprotrusions are fabricated from an elastomeric gel.